The Next Level In Gaming

Sonic Dash is the latest iOS game from SEGA which puts you back in the shoes of everyone’s favourite blue hedgehog. This fast paced iOS title sees Sonic the Hedgehog running at top speeds, collecting rings and taking down Dr Eggman’s horde of evil robotic animals. So what happens if you mix Sonic the Hedgehog with the game play styling’s from the likes of Agent Dash and Temple Run? Does Sonic Dash take this type of game play to the next level?

With the release of the successful Sonic Jump back in October last year it’s not surprising to see SEGA bringing their famous mascot into the popular endless running genre. Mobile gamers who have played endless running games will feel right at home here as this title has a very similar control set up to games such as Temple Run and Agent Dash. Your aim is to collect rings and guide Sonic on his endless sprint by dodging obstacles, jumping over great chasms and taking down as many of Eggman’s minions as possible. Swiping the screen left and right will move Sonic from side to side while swiping up and down will allow Sonic to jump and roll. There is also a boost meter in the bottom right hand corner of the screen which will fill up the more rings you collect. Once activated this will give you a boost of speed which is always handy if you are trying to beat your high score.

While you guide the speedy blue hedgehog on his merry way there will be item boxes for you to pick up and rings for you to collect. Item boxes more often that not boost your ever increasing gold ring collection by a small amount. It’s a shame to see that there isn’t much variety at all when it comes to these pickups. Rings are collected in order to level up Sonic and with each level comes a considerable score multiplier upgrade. The leveling up system is pretty much what you would expect from this type of game, but collecting enough rings in order to level up takes far longer than you would expect as you have to collect an obscene amount of rings in order in order to reach the next level. Red stars are awarded occasionally and these can be used to unlock characters and revive Sonic should the hedgehog meet his demise. Unfortunately these red stars are awarded rarely meaning that unlocking new characters is more of a chore than a pleasure. The game also has a habit of trying to sell you more rings and red stars every time you restart, tempting you to spend even more money on the app. This feels as though the game is putting unnecessary pressure on the player to spend more money, which can be quite frustrating.

Graphically the game looks slick. If you’re a fan of previous Sonic titles you will be pleased to hear that the developers have managed to capture the look and feel of the classic franchise. The backgrounds move seamlessly into one another capturing classic Sonic levels such as Green Hill Zone and Ocean View Zone and the sound effects are what you would come to expect with any Sonic game giving the nostalgia hit that hardcore Sonic fans love. It wouldn’t be a Sonic game either if it didn’t have a few loop the loops thrown in and thankfully Sonic Dash has plenty of them. It’s nice to see that the game is staying true to the Sonic the Hedge Hog franchise.

Pros:

+ Classic Sonic look and feel

+ Responsive smooth controls

+ Good looking graphics

Cons:

- In app purchases are advertised way too much

- Leveling up and unlocking characters feels like a chore

- Doesn’t bring anything new to the genre

60 / 100

Sonic Dash is your typical endless running game which pays a nice homage to the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Even though the game tempts you to folk out more cash in order to level up and unlock characters, it is a solid running game that will have Sonic fans smiling.

- Garv

Sonic Dash is available now on iOS for £1.49

The Plus XP Review System

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